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Advocates Philippines
Barbers Questions Rise In Duterte-Carpio Business Interests
Photo credit: House of Representatives of the Philippines
A closer look at the financial disclosures of Sara Duterte is drawing fresh attention in Congress, after a lawmaker flagged what appears to be a steady increase in the number of business interests declared over the years.
During a House Committee on Justice hearing, Surigao del Norte Rep. Bernadette Barbers walked officials through a year-by-year review of Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs), focusing on entries tied to both the Vice President and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.
“So tama po ba na base sa mga SALN ni VP Duterte at ni Atty. Mans Carpio ay kada taon ang mga business interests nila ay dumadami?” Barbers asked, pointing to what she described as a pattern across nearly two decades of filings.
Responding to the query, Atty. Karen Batu of the Office of the Ombudsman’s Central Records Division clarified that their role was limited to confirming what was declared.
“We cannot make any conclusion on the ano po. Basta kung ano lang po ‘yung binasa ninyo, we can confirm na ‘yun po ‘yung nakalagay sa SALN nila, Your Honor,” she said.
The exchange followed Barbers’ detailed breakdown of the SALNs, beginning with 2007, when only three companies were listed. Those same firms remained in the next two years, before new entries began appearing in 2010. From there, the list continued to expand.
By 2011, additional entities had been declared. The number grew further in 2016, reaching eight, with a mix of food, service, and other corporate interests. In the years that followed, several companies repeatedly appeared in the filings, suggesting ongoing ties.
The trend continued into more recent disclosures. The 2021 and 2022 SALNs maintained eight declared business interests, while the 2023 filing rose to 11. In 2024, the number slightly dipped to 10, still reflecting a broad range of ventures—from food businesses and fisheries to security services and shipping operations.
Throughout the hearing, Ombudsman records officials consistently confirmed that the entries cited by Barbers matched the submitted SALNs, but stopped short of offering interpretation.
After laying out the timeline, Barbers said the growing list raises bigger questions that go beyond simple documentation.
“Sana po ay merong maipakita sana sa atin kung ano ang importansya o reason ng pagdami ng mga interests sa mga negosyo ng mag-asawang Duterte-Carpio, like paglaki ng kanilang income, net worth at halaga ng kanilang yaman,” she said.
The discussion is expected to feed into broader deliberations on transparency and accountability, particularly as lawmakers examine how declared business interests align with reported wealth over time.
During a House Committee on Justice hearing, Surigao del Norte Rep. Bernadette Barbers walked officials through a year-by-year review of Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs), focusing on entries tied to both the Vice President and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.
“So tama po ba na base sa mga SALN ni VP Duterte at ni Atty. Mans Carpio ay kada taon ang mga business interests nila ay dumadami?” Barbers asked, pointing to what she described as a pattern across nearly two decades of filings.
Responding to the query, Atty. Karen Batu of the Office of the Ombudsman’s Central Records Division clarified that their role was limited to confirming what was declared.
“We cannot make any conclusion on the ano po. Basta kung ano lang po ‘yung binasa ninyo, we can confirm na ‘yun po ‘yung nakalagay sa SALN nila, Your Honor,” she said.
The exchange followed Barbers’ detailed breakdown of the SALNs, beginning with 2007, when only three companies were listed. Those same firms remained in the next two years, before new entries began appearing in 2010. From there, the list continued to expand.
By 2011, additional entities had been declared. The number grew further in 2016, reaching eight, with a mix of food, service, and other corporate interests. In the years that followed, several companies repeatedly appeared in the filings, suggesting ongoing ties.
The trend continued into more recent disclosures. The 2021 and 2022 SALNs maintained eight declared business interests, while the 2023 filing rose to 11. In 2024, the number slightly dipped to 10, still reflecting a broad range of ventures—from food businesses and fisheries to security services and shipping operations.
Throughout the hearing, Ombudsman records officials consistently confirmed that the entries cited by Barbers matched the submitted SALNs, but stopped short of offering interpretation.
After laying out the timeline, Barbers said the growing list raises bigger questions that go beyond simple documentation.
“Sana po ay merong maipakita sana sa atin kung ano ang importansya o reason ng pagdami ng mga interests sa mga negosyo ng mag-asawang Duterte-Carpio, like paglaki ng kanilang income, net worth at halaga ng kanilang yaman,” she said.
The discussion is expected to feed into broader deliberations on transparency and accountability, particularly as lawmakers examine how declared business interests align with reported wealth over time.
Apr 22, 2026
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